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Bill aims to discourage lawmakers from skipping floor votes by docking pay
Rep. Jerry Weiers is fed up with fellow lawmakers who skip floor votes. His solution: Dock their pay and list their names on the Web.
State needs to close tax loopholes, cut non-essential services
Arizonans watched Republican lawmakers and the governor fail multiple times last year to solve one of the biggest budget deficits in history and continue to push our state down the wrong track.
Capitol Quotes 1/15/10
"I have the ultrasound on the wall of my office, and there's no doubt the baby is positioned to the far right." - Rep. Laurin Hendrix, a Republican from Gilbert, speaking in a Jan. 11 floor speech about his soon-to-be-born grandchild.
Kirkpatrick raises concerns about renewable energy’s cost to rural Arizona residents
Duncan Mayor M.C. Holiday has nothing against renewable energy. But as the state and federal governments look toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, he hopes officials will keep in mind that his remote town has a high unemployment rate and many residents on fixed incomes.
Tyne’s ouster a sign of things to come
Kevin Tyne's tenure as Gov. Jan Brewer's most loyal and trusted adviser came to an end as the governor announced that budget chief Eileen Klein would replace him as her chief of staff. Lobbyist Chuck Coughlin described the move as a "collaborative decision" between the Republican Governors Association, Brewer and Tyne that would allow Tyne to continue assisting the governor if she seeks a full te[...]
Local taxpayers may see higher rates to pay for school costs
Lawmakers may shift the responsibility for education funding to local property owners as a way of coping with staggering budget deficits in the near future, even though it would translate to higher property taxes.
Fewer lawmakers may be present for special session
Fewer lawmakers are likely to be present for the special session July 20. About a third of senators and representatives planned to attend the National Conference of State Legislatures summit in Philadelphia City this week, according to the Senate and the House.
Democrats locked out until last minute
As the clock neared midnight with no budget yet in place, Gov. Jan Brewer turned to the Democrats for support. For Democrats, however, it was too little, too late.
Not the endorsements she was looking for
If Gov. Jan Brewer is looking for support for a 2010 run, Rep. Nancy Barto might not be the best person to turn to for support. At a legislative wrap-up breakfast today sponsored by the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, emcee Chip Scutari asked a panel of Barto, Rep. Chad Campbell and Rep. John Kavanagh whom they thought would be governor in January 2011.
Budget cuts for everybody – almost
Although nearly every level of state government is facing a spending cut as the state grapples with a more than $3 billion deficit, those responsible for crafting the budget didn't think the time was right to give themselves a haircut.
It’s ‘Christmas tree’ time in June
The budget approved last week by lawmakers was stuffed with dozens of policy changes that have little, if anything at all, to do with solving the state’s massive deficit.
Changes to budget plan could spike support from some members
The biggest differences between the Republican budget proposal released April 27 and a draft leaked to the press a month earlier were two components designed to generate more than $500 million in revenue without raising taxes. And those two ideas have created the biggest backlash against the latest proposal.
